NETGEAR ReadyNAS

Frequently Asked Questions

Pre-Sales: What is the difference between X-RAID and X-RAID2?; What is the advantage of using X-RAID over RAID 5?; When would it be appropriate to use RAID 5?; What is the volume capacity when installing disks of different sizes?; Will NETGEAR provide data recovery service if needed?; Does ReadyNAS support JBOD or some sort of non-RAID setup?; Does the ReadyNAS support sleep mode?; Does the ReadyNAS support scheduled power on and off?; What is the maximum number of users and groups on the ReadyNAS?; Is there any limitation on filename length?; What is largest file size that the ReadyNAS will support?; What file system does ReadyNAS use? Can I read a disk from ReadyNAS on other machines?; What is the ambient operating temperature range of ReadyNAS?; Can I attach a tape drive to ReadyNAS?; I am using ReadyNAS as primary storage, how do I backup my ReadyNAS?; What is the difference between the ReadyNAS NV and NV+?; Is SMB signing supported?; Does NETGEAR provide any support contracts?; Does NETGEAR provide a simulator of the ReadyNAS FrontView Interface?; Where can I find more information on the ReadyNAS Duo?; Where can I find more information on the ReadyNAS NV+?; Where can I find more information on the ReadyNAS 1100?; Where can I find more information on the ReadyNAS NVX?; Where can I find more information on the ReadyNAS Pro?; Where can I find more information on the ReadyNAS 2100?; Where can I find more information on the ReadyNAS 3200?; What is the difference between the Pioneer and Business Editions?; Can I use the ReadyNAS with my NETGEAR EVA8000/EVA9000?

Boot, Installation, and Upgrade: How can I properly shutdown the ReadyNAS?; Can I update the ReadyNAS firmware before doing the installing my disks?; Can I mix disk models and sizes when installing the ReadyNAS?; Does the ReadyNAS support SATA II hard disks?; Can I use the disk(s) that were previously used in a PC/MAC?; How do I configure a RAID 1 or RAID 5 volume with a spare disk?; How do I upgrade the ReadyNAS firmware when the ReadyNAS is not connected to the Internet?; How do I re-install the firmware?; How do I install/remove an add-on?; RAIDar is unable to find the ReadyNAS on my network. How do I resolve this?; How do I reset my ReadyNAS admin password?; How do I direct-connect between ReadyNAS and PC/Mac?; How many data volumes does the ReadyNAS support in Flex-RAID mode?; How many data volumes does the ReadyNAS support in X-RAID mode?; Why is my volume capacity is lower than expected?; How do I replace a failed disk?; How long does it take to sync a replacement disk?; How do I switch between Flex-RAID and X-RAID mode?; How do I migrate disks over from an existing ReadyNAS to another?; How do I add disks to an existing X-RAID volume?; How do I expand an existing X-RAID volume with larger disks?; Is it possible for ReadyNAS to restart when power is restored?; RAIDar status said "Corrupted Root" during factory reset or installation. What should I do?; How do I perform a TFTP Boot Recovery?; Can I do the TFTP Boot Recovery from a Mac?; How can I perform a Boot Recovery using a USB flash device?; I've scheduled auto Power-On, but why is the ReadyNAS not powering up automatically?; I've enabled the schedule Power-Off/Power-On option on my NV, but now I cannot power-on my ReadyNAS. What should I do?; My shares are missing after the ReadyNAS was rebooted. What should I do?; How do I reset the ReadyNAS to factory default?; What is the FrontView default login and password after a factory default?; Will clients with non-jumbo frame network interfaces be able to access the ReadyNAS if jumbo frames is enabled?; RAIDar shows ReadyNAS IP is 192.168.168.168 and cannot access NAS, why? and how to fix?; When I used IE7 or Windows Vista, I get security warning. How to get rid of this?; System boot seems to hang on a bad disk, how do I know which one is bad?; How can I skip the Volume check?; How can I replicate my ReadyNAS settings for a large deployment of systems?

Expansion (X-RAID): How do I add capacity to my X-RAID volume?; How do I expand my current 4-disk X-RAID volume?; What happened if I add a larger disk to my current 2- or 3-disk X-RAID volume?; What should I do if X-RAID expansion fails?

Performance: What performance can I expect with jumbo frames enabled?; What transfer speed can I expect when reading and writing large files like CD or DVD images to/from the ReadyNAS?; Will increasing the amount of memory in the ReadyNAS improve performance?; Will mixing SATA types (I and II) have an impact on performance?; How do I improve write speeds of USB External Drive attached to ReadyNAS?; How do I improve my read/write speed of ReadyNAS?; I'm getting poor performance with my Mac. Is there anything I can do?; The ReadyNAS stalls while downloading file via FTP or HTTP/S. What can I do?; I'm getting poor performance with Windows Vista. Is there anything I can do?

Services: How do I restart services?

Share Access and Permission: How can I access private user home shares?; In User security mode, can ReadyNAS User A be able to access the content of ReadyNAS User B home share?; How do I connect to the ReadyNAS as admin?; I logged in as admin, but why don't I see any private home shares for my users?; How can I disable private home shares?; How can the admin user access private home shares?; How do I delete files under the current share in User security mode?; Why am I not able to delete certain files and folders?; Why is WebDAV not working on my Windows XP box?; How can I move files from share to share on the ReadyNAS without going over the network?; My share's default access is set to read/write but why am I still unable to read or write to a file?; How do I get ReadyNAS shares to automatically appear on my Windows PC on startup?; How and when do I use the Advanced Options tab?; What file system should I use on my USB drive?; If I use Ext3 on my USB drive, how can I read the drive on my PC or Mac?; The Security tab is missing in my Windows XP file properties. What should I do?; How can I disconnect from a share from Windows?; When I initially connect to a share, there is a long delay. How can I fix this?; Why am I not able to access ReadyNAS share that is password protected with Vista?; Why won't rsync retain my UIDs/GIDs?; Why are files read-only when using WebDAV on Vista with Office 2007?

Remote Access over WAN: How can I setup port-forwarding to the ReadyNAS?; How can I setup my ReadyNAS for FTP access over the Internet?; How do I setup the ReadyNAS for anonymous FTP in non-Share security mode?; I can log into the ReadyNAS, but when I try to transfer files, the transfer rate almost immediately goes to 0 and eventually times out. What's wrong?; How can I access my ReadyNAS through FTP when my ReadyNAS is behind my home firewall and my client is behind my school/work/etc. firewall?; I get errors when I try to issue FTP commands. My logs mention extended passive mode.; I can't seem to access certain files and directories in my FTP share.; I can access my ReadyNAS over FTP using an FTP client, but not with Internet Explorer.

Backup: What's the difference between Windows Timestamp and Archive Bit backup?; What is the requirement for using Archive Bit backup mode?; How do I resolve the "access denied" error during a Backup using the FrontView Backup Manager?; I cannot backup my data from the ReadyNAS share folder to the attached USB hard disk. What should I do?; How do I setup two ReadyNAS units to mirror each other with the built-in backup manager using the rsync protocol?; How do I backup users' private home folders in Domain security mode?; How do I resolve the FTP timeout issue during the backup? What is the current ftp time out setting on the ReadyNAS?; How can I backup Windows shares with files with foreign characters in their names?; I cannot use Umlaut characters in backup path.; How should I backup my ReadyNAS to another ReadyNAS?; How do I backup an entire drive on a Windows PC to a share on the ReadyNAS?; My backup failed because of an "unknown error".; How can I download a copy of the entire backup log?; Backups are failing when using rsync. Why?; Backups using the built-in backup manager are failing with Windows 2003 Server sources. Why?; How do I share files on Windows XP/Vista?

Windows Domain and Active Directory: The ReadyNAS failed to authenticate with the domain controller. What should I do?; How many domain users can the ReadyNAS handle?; Our domain user(s) can not login to the ReadyNAS. What should I do?; How do I change the file and folder permission on the ReadyNAS that is attached to domain controller?; How do I access the user home folder on ReadyNAS?; Can I change the name of the ReadyNAS after it has already joined an Active Directory Domain?; How come data copied to the ReadyNAS does not maintain all the ACL's permissions?; Why am I not able to create users in the ReadyNAS after joining Domain?; Under the Domain security mode, each time users access the ReadyNAS, it keeps asking for a login name and password. How can this be prevented?; After joining ReadyNAS to a Domain Controller, the ReadyNAS does not list users and groups under account tab. How do I fix this?

Mac / OS X: How well does ReadyNAS work in a Mac environment?; Why is RAIDar not detecting my ReadyNAS?; Which share protocol is the best for MAC users with the ReadyNAS?; How do I access a ReadyNAS share with a Mac?; I'm getting poor performance with my Mac. Is there anything I can do?; How do I make Time Machine work with the ReadyNAS?; How to prevent .DS_Store file creation over network connections?

Hardware: What does this light pattern mean? (LED); What is the maximum drive size that the ReadyNAS supports?; How can I verify that my disk is bad?; What are some of the common noises of a defective disk drive?; Is there any advantage in having more memory?; What is the maximum memory can we install into ReadyNAS?; Will changing memory void my warranty?; Where can I find the ReadyNAS memory specification?; How do I replace the stock memory module on the ReadyNAS NV/NV+?; Is there a way I can verify if my memory is good?; Can I attach a USB 2.0 Hub to ReadyNAS USB Port?; Are USB multi-reader devices supported on the ReadyNAS?; Can I attach two or more USB Printers to the ReadyNAS?; I'm having printing problems on over Windows XP. What can I do to get printing to work?; What devices can I install in the PCI slot on the ReadyNAS 600/X6/1000S?; What devices can I attach to the ReadyNAS USB ports?; Why is my USB drive not being detected?; Can I attach the ReadyNAS to a USB port on the PC?; What do I need to do to get UPS alerts and proper shutdown on battery low condition?; What do my disks not spindown?; What is my fan still running in spindown mode?; My hard disk(s) in ReadyNAS is reporting high SMART Raw Read Error Rate, Seek Error Rate, and Hardware ECC Recovered. What should I do?; How do I replace the stock power supply on the ReadyNas NV/NV+?; Can I use standard ATX power supply unit to power the ReadyNAS?; Can I use a serial-to-USB converter from a serial port-only UPS to the ReadyNAS?; My ReadyNAS NV+ LCD keeps turning off. Is this normal?; Can I use the 2nd ethernet port on the 1100 for load-balancing / teaming?; How can I release a stuck disk tray?; What ReadyNAS 600 revision do I have?

Add-ons: How do I use the BitTorrent Download Manager?; What BitTorrent client is on my ReadyNAS?; How do I share photos with ReadyNAS Photos?; How do I troubleshoot ReadyNAS Photos problems?; Where can I find third-party add-ons for the ReadyNAS?; How can I use ReadyNAS Remote behind a proxy?

Miscellaneous: How do I send in a Support request?; NETGEAR Remote Access Policy; How do I send all logs?; What port does RAIDar use?; How do I install the rack mount kit?; How can I get RSS feeds of the ReadyNAS forum?; WebDAV file size limitation; Software Incompatibilities; GPL license information; ReadyNAS Forum Questions

Pre-Sales

What is the difference between X-RAID and X-RAID2?: X-RAID2 is the 2nd generation of ReadyNAS's proven patent-pending Auto-Expandable RAID technology and can be found on the ReadyNAS NVX, Pro, 2100 and 3200 models. X-RAID2 automates the volume expansion for you as you scale from 1 drive to 4, 6* or even 12* drives while keeping your data online (*depending on the model). Additionally, as your storage requirement grows, you can replace your disks with larger capacity ones, and X-RAID2 automatically and incrementally expands your storage vertically. No other NAS devices in this class can do this without reformatting your disks and shuffling your data back and forth.

With the first generation of X-RAID volume expansion only occurs after all disks have been upgraded. With X-RAID2 volume expansion will occur as soon as there is additional protected space.

See X-RAID2 in action: http://www.readynas.com/?cat=53

Additionally, the ReadyNAS Pro and 3200 both support RAID levels 0, 1, 5, 6, and NETGEAR's patent pending X-RAID2, with hot spare capability. With RAID 6, the system ensures data integrity even with 2 simultaneous disk failures. The extra disk bays provided by the 6-bay ReadyNAS Pro makes RAID 6 and hot spares practical options worth considering to prevent any prolonged state in which the ReadyNAS data volume is left in an unprotected state.; Top

What is the advantage of using X-RAID over RAID 5?: The ReadyNAS systems support both RAID levels. RAID 5 is an industry-standard RAID level whereas X-RAID is an Infrant patented RAID technology that simplifies and automates the RAID management process. X-RAID utilizes a one-volume technology with built-in volume expansion support, either by adding more disks or by replacing existing disk with larger capacity disks. For instance, you can start out with one disk, and add up to 3 more disks when you need more capacity or when you can afford them. Volume management is automatic. Add a 2nd disk, it becomes a mirror to the first, providing protection from a disk failure; add a 3rd, the capacity doubles; add a 4th, and your capacity triples . the expansion occurring while maintaining redundancy.

X-RAID also provides further expansion capability. At a future point in time, each disk can be replaced one by one, have it finish rebuilding, and after the last disk is replaced, your volume automatically expands utilizing the new capacity. This future-proof technology allows you to continuously expand as higher-capacity disks become available.

Performance-wise, X-RAID is optimized for larger sequential access request pattern, such as video streaming and editing. Performance over RAID 5 in large data transfer can be as much as 15-20% better.; Top

When would it be appropriate to use RAID 5?: Where X-RAID excels at large sequential transfers, RAID 5 performs better in smaller random access request pattern, fitting better in most office environments. Full volume management is available when you select RAID 5 (or Flex-RAID) mode. You can delete the existing volume and recreate one or more volumes, with each volume with different snapshot space and quota specification. You also have the flexibility of assigning an unused disk as a hot spare, allowing for the standby drive to kick in to replace a failed disk, minimizing the time where you may be vulnerable to a second disk failure.

In the future when you need more capacity, you can replace each disk one by one, and when the last disk is replaced, you can create another volume utilizing the new available space. This is in contrast to X-RAID where the single volume expands over the new space.; Top

What is the volume capacity when installing disks of different sizes?: Volume capacity will be limited by the smallest disk. For example, if you are installing one 250GB drive and three 750GB drives, your data volume capacity will be limited to 250GB on each of the four disks. In Flex-RAID mode, you can utilize the leftover space on the 3 750GB disks by creating another data volume (3 x 500GB). With X-RAID, if you replace the single 250GB disk with a 750GB disk, your capacity will automatically expand, utilizing all 750 GB from each of the 4 disks.; Top

Will NETGEAR provide data recovery service if needed?: NETGEAR will provide data recovery analysis and service for a fee. Each case will be vary in price based on time spent. NETGEAR Support can provide an estimate after doing an analysis. See this page for more information.; Top

Does ReadyNAS support JBOD or some sort of non-RAID setup?: ReadyNAS does not support JBOD, however, you can create a RAID 0 striped volume across all four disks or create a separate RAID 0 volume on each disk.; Top

Does the ReadyNAS support sleep mode?: The ReadyNAS supports the optional disk sleep mode. In this mode, disks will go on standby after a specified time of inactivity.; Top

Does the ReadyNAS support scheduled power on and off?: ReadyNAS NV+, 1100, Rev. B NV and Rev. B X6/600 support scheduled power on and off. Rev. A NV needs add-on to turn on this feature, see add-on notes for details.; Top

What is the maximum number of users and groups on the ReadyNAS?: There is a limit of 32,000 users and 32,000 groups, however, depending on application, the ReadyNAS will support from 1 to 20 concurrent users. For large video files, the ReadyNAS can stream 4 HD-quality video without frame drops. For Microsoft Office-type applications, the ReadyNAS will handle many more concurrent users.; Top

Is there any limitation on filename length?: Filename length is limited to 255 bytes. If filename contains only alphabet and numbers, this limitation is the same as most of client. However if filename contains Germanic umlaut, Chinese character, Kanji, etc., filename will be limited to less charactors. The maximum filename length will be 85 characters if filename cosists of only Chinese charactors.; Top

What is largest file size that the ReadyNAS will support?: The ReadyNAS will support up to 2TB (terabyte) file size. Some protocols, such as HTTP will have a limitation where maximum file transfer size can be much less.; Top

What file system does ReadyNAS use? Can I read a disk from ReadyNAS on other machines?: The ReadyNAS uses Linux Ext2/Ext3 file system. A typical Linux distro can mount and access the data from the disks.; Top

What is the ambient operating temperature range of ReadyNAS?: 0-40C. ReadyNAS will gracefully shut down if hard disk temperature exceeds safe level.; Top

Can I attach a tape drive to ReadyNAS?: No, however you can attach a tape drive to a PC and backup files from the ReadyNAS.; Top

I am using ReadyNAS as primary storage, how do I backup my ReadyNAS?: You can use the built-in FrontView Backup Manager to backup shares to a USB disk, another PC, or another ReadyNAS. Alternatively, you can use a PC, Mac, or Linux backup software to backup shares from the ReadyNAS.; Top

What is the difference between the ReadyNAS NV and NV+?

First of all, the NV+ is an evolutionary running production change over the original NV. In retrospect, the NV itself was already improving through running production changes, and a lot of features we are introducing formally in the NV+ hardware had already started appearing in the latest batches of the NV, starting in August/September timeframe. So pretty much other than the LCD panel, the hardware on the NV+ is very much the same as the "rev B" NVs that we have been shipping. That said, I will post the improvement in the NV+ since the original NV which was introduced back in February this year. Keep in mind that the RAIDiator firmware runs across commonly across the ReadyNAS family, so the software features remain the same.

LCD panel. Feedback on status and event information are now available immediately just by glancing at the NV+. By default, the IP address and disk usage of the NV+ is displayed, so there's no guessing what IP the ReadyNAS is set for and how much disk space is still available. Also status and events such as disk failure, disk removal and insertion events, USB device events, overtemp condition, etc are displayed as soon as it's triggered. This is in addition to the alerts and logging you've grown to be accustomed to with the ReadyNAS. In addition, boot statuses are now in readable form, so you no longer need to rely on a LED chart to see what's going on. The LCD panel will shut itself off after 5 minutes if there are no failure condition. This prolongs the life of the LCD and eliminates the unnecessary glow if the NV+ powered on at night. Also, it keeps the nice clean look you're accustomed to with the NV.
Quiet power supply. The original NV had a small high-revving fan in the power supply that helped out in cooling the PSU components, but, let's just say, also caused the NV to be louder than it could be. The NV+ now uses a fanless power supply with updated components that can withstand the higher temps. This results in the NV+ being noticeably quieter than the original NV. The "rev B" NV also utilizes the same NV+ power supply. We value our original NV users, and will be providing a retrokit power supply kit that will allow for the same quiet operation.
Improved fan circuitry. The mainboard now has a more robust threshold for handling the wider a ranges or fan RPM. The original NV fan safe range was ~1900-2100 RPM. The NV+ now utilizes a fan that can span speeds from 1600-3000 RPM, allowing for a slightly quieter setting at idle mode, and allowing the fan to spin up high enough for the hottest drives in warmer climates and air condition-less rooms. The "rev B" NV also utilizes the same mainboard with a different fan that ranges from 1600-2400 RPM.
More robust scheduled power-on. The NV+ mainboard now handles scheduled power-on events more gracefully when there is no power to the unit. Previously with the original NV, a power-on event when no AC was applied would result in needing to release the battery before the NV would boot again. The "rev B" NV utilizes the same board so it will also handle this condition identically to the NV+.
Retrospect for Windows and Macs. The NV+ comes bundled with a 5-user license for Retrospect for Windows and Mac users. We have a growing Mac user base (which we love), and partnering with EMC to bring a quality backup program for both Windows and Macs was definitely a high priority. Now more users have a choice on how to safeguard their data -- centralizing backups with our integrated FrontView Backup Manager or using Retrospect where FrontView Backup is not feasible.

Item	1100	600/X6/1000S Rev.A	600/X6/1000S Rev.B	NV/NV+/Duo
DIMM Type	200-pin DDR SODIMM	184-pin DDR DIMM	200-pin DDR SODIMM	200-pin DDR SODIMM
ECC/Registered	No-ECC Non-registered	No-ECC Non-registered	No-ECC Non-registered	No-ECC Non-registered
Speed Grade	PC2100/ PC2700/ PC3200	PC2100/ PC2700/ PC3200	PC2100/ PC2700/ PC3200	PC2700/ PC3200
DRAM Chip	Support upto 512M-bits DDR chip. We don't support 1G-bits DDR chip.
Detailed Spec	120MHz (CL=2/2.5)	120MHz (CL=2/2.5)	120MHz (CL=2/2.5)	140MHz (CL=2/2.5)

Frequently Asked Questions

Pre-Sales

Boot, Installation, and Upgrade

Expansion (X-RAID)

Performance

Services

Share Access and Permission

Remote Access over WAN

Backup

Windows Domain and Active Directory

Mac / OS X

Hardware

Add-ons

Miscellaneous